RAF Butzweilerhof
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
RAF Butzweilerhof | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany | |||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence (UK) | ||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Second Tactical Air Force Royal Air Force Germany | ||||||
| Location | |||||||
  RAF Butzweilerhof Shown within North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany  RAF Butzweilerhof RAF Butzweilerhof (Germany) | |||||||
| Coordinates | 50°59′5.3″N 6°53′29.1″E / 50.984806°N 6.891417°E | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | 1951 | ||||||
| In use | August 1951 - 27 January 1967 | ||||||
| Fate | closed | ||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||
| Identifiers | ICAO: ETBB | ||||||
| Elevation | 48 metres (157 ft) AMSL | ||||||
| |||||||
| Motto | Per Vires Pax (Latin: Peace through strength)[1] | ||||||
Royal Air Force Butzweilerhof, commonly known as RAF Butzweilerhof was a Royal Air Force station in the middle west of Germany situated in the northern suburbs of Cologne (German: Köln).[2] The station's motto was Per Vires Pax, and the station badge depicts the Cologne Cathedral rising above the waters.
Units
From the 1920s, Butzweilerhof was the main civil airport for Cologne, but was taken over by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during August 1951.[3][better source needed](WP:SELFPUBLISH) RAF aircraft ceased flying in 1965, and the RAF formally left Butzweilerhof, closing down the station on 27 January 1967.[2][4] The few civilian employees remaining at the beginning of 1967 were required to leave by the end of January, and on 31 January 1967, Butzweilerhof airfield was officially handed over to the Bundeswehr.[citation needed]
In 1957, it was the home for The Band of RAF Germany.[2][4]
- A detachment of No. 16 Squadron RAF between 7 September and 31 October 1953[5]
- No. 68 Squadron RAF, operating the Gloster Meteor NF11[3][better source needed](WP:SELFPUBLISH)
- No. 87 Squadron RAF, operating the Gloster Meteor NF11[3][better source needed](WP:SELFPUBLISH)
- A detachment of No. 94 Squadron RAF between 7 September and 31 October 1953[6]
- A detachment of No. 145 Squadron RAF between 7 September and 31 October 1953[7]
- No. 26 Signals Unit RAF (previously No. 5 Signals Wing)[8]
- No. 477 Signals Unit RAF[9]
- No. 5 (Signals) Wing RAF[10] commanding unit for HF/direction finding units in Germany from August 1958 to September 1966[3][better source needed](WP:SELFPUBLISH)
- No. 588 Signals Unit RAF[11]
- 2nd Tactical Air Force Forward Repair Unit RAF from March 1952 to December 1966[12][13]
- No. 52 Repair Unit (Plant) RAF from August 1950 to December 1955[14][15]
- No. 420 Repair and Salvage Squadron RAF (February 1957-December 1961)[3][better source needed](WP:SELFPUBLISH)[16][17]
- No. 6209 Bomb Disposal Flight RAF[18]
- No. 4 Mobile Repair & Salvage Unit RAF from September to December 1956[19]
- RAF Butzweilerhof Station Flight[20]
Accidents and incidents
- On 24 December 1944, as part of a larger group of Royal Air Force aircraft tasked with bombing targets around the city of Cologne, an Avro Lancaster ND388 was destroyed in the air, its tail section crash landed at Butzweilerhof.[21]
